British Army Officers Insignia Crown Pips PAIR - Rank of Major

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Guaranteed original. Complete & intact. This is an original British Army Officers Insignia Crown Pips - Rank of Major Badge for sale. In good condition. Please see our other items for more original WW1, WW2 & post war British military badges for sale including other British Army Officers Insignia Crown Pips - Rank of Major.

Badges for field officers were first introduced in 1810. These badges consisted of (and still consist of) crowns and stars, (the latter being more likely to be called ‘pips’ today, although this term is technically incorrect). These rank insignia were worn on shoulder epaulettes. The star is that of the Order of the Bath. The Crown has varied in the past, with the King’s Imperial Crown being used from 1910 until it was replaced by the St Edward’s Crown from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.

All officers’ badges on service dress were originally of gilding metal, except for rifle regiments and the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department, which used bronze instead. A variety of alternative materials and prints have been used on various styles of dress.

The insignia was moved to the shoulder boards in 1880 for all officers in full dress, when the system of crowns and stars was reorganised on similar lines to that seen today. Exceptions included the rank of brigadier general (now brigadier – see below) and until 1902, a captain had just two stars and a lieutenant one star. From 1871, the rank of ensign (cornet in cavalry regiments) was replaced with the rank of second lieutenant, which had no insignia. The 1902 change gave the latter a single star and the insignia of lieutenants and captains were increased to two and three stars respectively. In addition to the shoulder badges, officers’ ranks were also reflected in the amount and pattern of gold lace worn on the cuffs of the full-dress tunic.

Brigadier generals wore a crossed sword and baton symbol on its own. In 1922 the rank was replaced with colonel-commandant, a title that reflected the role more accurately, but which many considered to be inappropriate in a British context. From 1928 the latter was replaced with the rank of brigadier with the rank insignia used to this day.